The Tragic Love Song of Destiny
by Author of the Insane
Summary: A small thing that popped into my head after watching the two part episode with the same title. Please enjoy.


Kaede would often wonder why her sister Kikyo loved Inuyasha so much. He was a half-demon and she was a human, and yet despite their differences, the two became close friends and soon they fell in love. However fate was not kind to them.

Inuyasha believed that he could never be truly happy unless he was a full demon. And Kikyo, her duty as a priestess prevented her from showing any emotion, especially love. When they first met, Inuyasha was intrigued by the Priestess who reeked of demon blood. It was then that he learned that she was the guardian of the Shikon Jewel, the Jewel of Four Souls.

When he learned of its power, the temptation was too great. He confronted Kikyo and demanded the jewel. Kikyo refused and the two fought. As expected, Kikyo was the victor. However, despite her massive spiritual power, she did not use any of it against Inuyasha.

This confused Kaede. Was Inuyasha not like the many other demons that her sister had slain? Was he not simply another monster trying to gain power? Kikyo did not believe so, and in time she was proven right. Inuyasha's lust for power began to wane as he watched Kikyo. Soon he began to protect her, keeping evil humans and demons away from her. He initially brushed it off, saying he was merely protecting the Jewel for himself.

But Kikyo knew better. She could see the love that was beginning to grow in Inuyasha's heart, a love that mirrored her own. Despite this, Inuyasha still longed for the jewel, but now he had another reason. He wanted the power to protect Kikyo, the woman he had come to love.

Kikyo also wished to be with Inuyasha, but knew he could not be trusted around the jewel. So she created the beads of subjugation. But when the time came to give them to Inuyasha, she could not bring herself to do it.

Time went by and their love grew, but as it did Kikyo's spiritual powers waned. This was something that she could not allow. Without her strength, she could not protect her village, or her sister. This was a lesson she learned the hard way, when she accidentally hurt Kaede with a Sacred Arrow, causing her to lose sight in her right eye.

Overcome with grief, Kikyo wished to be done with her life as a Priestess. So she offered Inuyasha what he wanted. She would give him the jewel, but only if he used it to become a human. Inuyasha agreed, having decided that his love for Kikyo was greater than his lust for power.

Unfortunately this was not meant to be. An evil demon named Naraku sought to destroy their love and taint the jewel. He tricked them both, making them believe that the other had betrayed them. He struck Kikyo down wearing Inuyasha's form, making the Priestess believe that Inuyasha had no desire to become human. He made her think that he had only pretended to love her in order to get the jewel.

Inuyasha suffered a similar fate, believing that Kikyo's feelings had only been a lie. That she could not see past his dog ears and his half-demon blood. Betrayed, Inuyasha burst into the village, snatching the sacred jewel from the temple where it lay. He planned to use it to become a full demon, but before he could, Kikyo shot him with an Arrow of Sealing, binding him to the Tree of Ages.

With her last breath, Kikyo ordered the Sacred Jewel to be burned with her body so its power could not be tainted with darkness again. Kaede fulfilled her sister's wishes, taking on Kikyo's role as the Priestess of their village.

50 years passed since that fateful day, and Kaede continued to think about the events that led to her sister's death. Kaede had played the scenario over and over in her head, and yet she could still not make sense of it.

Kikyo felt betrayed, felt that her feelings had been played with, and yet in her final moments she chose to seal Inuyasha into an eternal slumber rather than kill him. And Inuyasha, who had been betrayed by the woman he loved, had such a peaceful expression on his face. These two things continued to baffle Kaede throughout her life.

What she did not understand was that even in her final moments, Kikyo had hope. She believed that she could survive the wounds she had received. She believed that she could purify the jewel, and her duty as a Priestess would be over. She believed she could become a normal woman, free to love. She believed that with the jewel gone, the temptation in Inuyasha's heart would be gone. If and when that time ever came, she would unseal him from the tree and try to rekindle the love that have been lost.

And as for Inuyasha, the reason he was so peaceful despite his unfortunate fate, was because even though Kikyo had betrayed him he still loved her. Even though Naraku had done his best to sow hatred in their hearts, that hatred would forever be diminished by the love of a half demon and a Priestess. A love that would transcend death itself.


End file.
